Vision

Our vision is to show the world the variety of ways we can take action on Environmental Issues and Climate change. We do this by exposing students and peers to innovative, student-led projects and actions.

Action

Our action this year is to build a useful and beautiful aquaponics system with the intention of teaching the negative impacts of industrial agriculture and alternatives like hydroponics and aquaponics.

Aquaponics offers several environmental benefits:
– Water conservation: Aquaponics is a highly water-efficient method of agriculture. It uses up to 90% less water compared to traditional soil-based farming because the water is continuously recycled within the system. The water that would typically be lost through evaporation or runoff in conventional agriculture is conserved in aquaponics.
– Reduced chemical usage: Aquaponics eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides typically used in traditional agriculture. The nutrient-rich fish waste provides natural fertilizer for the plants, and the closed-loop system minimizes the risk of pests and diseases. This reduction in chemical usage helps prevent water pollution and minimizes the negative impact on surrounding ecosystems.
– Conservation of land and resources: Aquaponics allows for high-density cultivation, meaning more crops can be grown in a smaller space. This helps preserve valuable land resources and reduces the pressure to convert natural habitats into agricultural fields. Additionally, aquaponics can be practiced in urban areas, utilizing unused or underutilized spaces such as rooftops or indoor facilities, which reduces the need for transportation and distribution over long distances.
– Energy efficiency: Aquaponic systems can be designed to be energy-efficient. By incorporating renewable energy sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines, to power pumps, lights, and other components, the overall energy consumption of the system can be minimized. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels and decreases the carbon footprint associated with food production.
– Carbon sequestration: Plants grown in aquaponics absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere as they grow, helping to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon. Additionally, by reducing the need for long-distance transportation of food, aquaponics helps decrease greenhouse gas emissions associated with the food supply chain.
– Water quality improvement: Aquaponic systems incorporate natural biological filtration processes, which help improve water quality. The plants uptake nutrients and filter out impurities, while beneficial bacteria convert toxic ammonia into nitrates. This results in cleaner water that can be returned to the environment without causing pollution.

Overall, aquaponics offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to agriculture by conserving water, reducing chemical usage, minimizing land and resource requirements, promoting energy efficiency, sequestering carbon, and improving water quality.

Our system will be used by students and staff for generations to come.

Reflection & Celebration

We are excited to have our system coming online this month. Our work has gone on without any big obstacles. We will be celebrating our system at an upcoming Energy and Environmental Expo, where students from our class show off their environmental projects and teach about the environmental issue they are addressing through an informative poster. We are excited to see our system in its full glory in the coming weeks.